The Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) army and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels traded accusations of ceasefire violations on Tuesday, two days before the White House is set to host the signing of an accord to end fighting in the country’s east.
The USs and Qatar have been mediating talks aimed at restoring peace in North and South Kivu provinces where clashes have displaced hundreds of thousands of people. Rwanda has denied backing M23, which said it is fighting to protect Tutsi communities in eastern DRC.
The sides accused each other on Tuesday of trying to sabotage the peace deals with attacks in South Kivu.
The armed forces of the DRC said its troops had come under attack in Kaziba, Katogota and Lubarika by the M23 rebel group and its allies.
“The attacks clearly show the coalition’s intention to sabotage the Washington and Doha peace agreements,” said army spokesperson Maj General Sylvain Ekenge.
Corneille Nangaa, leader of a rebel alliance that includes M23, said on X DRC forces, together with the Burundian army and other allies, had launched attacks in the same province since morning.
“Faced with the violation of the ceasefire within the framework of the Doha peace process, the [alliance] has no choice but to defend itself and protect civilian populations,” he said.
The alliance’s spokesperson and M23’s president made similar assertions in posts on X.
US President Donald Trump is scheduled to host the leaders of Rwanda and the DRC on Thursday to sign a peace agreement.
M23 staged a lightning advance in eastern DRC this year, seizing the region’s two largest cities and raising fears of a wider war.
Reuters
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